Cat Fancy
by Rose Mistress
Summary: Another experiment gone wrong leave Izaya looking a little different. What happens when Shizuo meets Izaya's new form for the first time?
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Another of Shinra's experiments gone wrong as he used Izaya for his test subject. Now he sports cat ears and a tail and slowly diminishes into a cat like person. And on the path of such, Shizuo seems to have a secret love for cats so what would this pose in their everlasting war of killing each other.

Disclaimer: I don't own Durarara! or any of its characters. Just me and my ideas.

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Cat Fancy

Chapter 1

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It was another day in Ikebukuro as Izaya walked through the bustling streets of everyday occurrences. He grinned, knowing that Shizuo was probably out somewhere and it wouldn't be long before the other locates him and their usual game of cat and mouse will destroy more public property. "But it's just oh so fun to keep taunting him though. And besides, it's not like it's money coming out of my pocket." he said with a playful lilt as he continued walking on, wondering what he could possibly do today since his work was done for the time being and none of his precious clients were out to dig up any more info on their enemies. It was then his phone rung and he stopped, moving off to the side before picking it up and saw Shinra's name on the illuminated screen.

He sighed before answering the phone. "What do you want, Shinra?" he questioned over the line as he walked.

"Izaya, I need you to come over right away, I need you for something."

"This isn't one of your odd experiments again, is it? Remember what happened last time." he hummed as he pivoted and made his way to the upscale apartments near the Kawagoe Highway. "Don't worry. It's nothing that bad. Just want you to try out something that I made." Shinra said.

"Which means it is some sort of experiment."

"Aww, come on, Orihara-kun~ I won't do anything exceptionally bad to you. You should know that."

"I tend to not believe that sometimes." Izaya spoke as he reached the apartment and rung the bell to be let in as he clicked the phone shut and slipped it into his pocket. The door buzzed opened and he headed inside and up to Shinra's apartment, being greeted by Celty at the door. He walked inside and promptly had a glass thrusted into his face. "Drink this!" Shinra chirped and he looked to the glass warily. Whatever Shinra had concocted was light purple in color but frothed at the top. He was beginning to get second thoughts as he looked to the underground doctor and somewhat acquaintance.

"Why did I come here again?"

"Just drink it, Izaya!"

"What the hell is it?"

"Just an elixir I made and wanted to test out."

"Then why didn't you call Shizu-chan? I'm sure he would have the body to handle this stuff, seeing as he's the monster of Ikebukuro. Besides, this looks like poison so I rather have the satisfaction of him dying by one of your crazy experiments than me." he spoke as he pushed the glass back.

"Don't worry, Izaya! You can trust me! Why would I kill you?"

"I can think up three reasons why." he murmured before glancing to the young doctor as he looped an arm around his shoulders as led him further into the apartment, Celty watching on curiously although she tend to worry about her lover's plans. "Come on, it's just a little sip~"

"I said no."

"Please?"

"No."

"What are you, chicken?" Shinra questioned with a grin, knowing that it might just rile the other up enough to get him to do what he wanted. Izaya turned to glare at him. "No one calls Izaya Orihara a chicken." he growled. "Then drink it." The other still glared at him but took the glass and looked at the frothing liquid once more before turning back to Shinra. "I die, I'm haunting you." he warned before downing the contents of the glass and gagged. "Ugh, no matter what it is, nothing ever tastes sweet." he said, coughing before giving the glass back to Shinra. "So...anything?" he questioned. He stood there for a moment before raising a hand up to say something then promptly collapsed face first onto the floor. Celty was startled before running over to Shinra, typing something furiously on her PDA before showing it to him.

[What did you do?!]

"Nothing Celty. It's like I told him, it's just a harmless little experiment." he said as he bent down to grab one of Izaya's arms. "Come on, let's get him to bed or else he'll curse me to the high heavens for leaving him on the floor." Celty gave a nonexistent sigh and shrugged her shoulders before helping the underground doctor lift the unconscious informant and take him into the bedroom to rest.

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It was evening when the other woke up and rubbed his forehead as the shock from earlier finally settled in his skull. He gave a growl and would've kill Shinra if it wasn't for the fact the other was a worthwhile and trusted acquaintance to him and would be foolish to lose one that could patch him up should one of Shizu-chan's chases get too violent for him. So with that thought in mind, Shinra was saved from a bloody death but he would still get chewed out by the informant the moment he was feeling a tad better. But for now, his home in Shinjuku was calling him and it would be a long, quiet train ride back. Scratching the back of his head, he grabbed his jacket and slipped it on before leaving the room and walked out, making his way to the front door. Shinra was watching something on the television when he heard the front door open.

"See you, Izaya."

"Fuck off, Shinra."

"So mean~" Shinra hummed with a tentative sigh as Celty emerged from her room, her odd periphs catching the tailcoat of Izaya's jacket heading out the door along with something long and slim following behind him. If she had eyes and a face to go along with it, she would've been surprised and also a tad confused before looking to her roommate slash lover and stepped over to him, sitting down beside him, phone already out and typing something before showing it to Shinra.

[Please tell me I was just imagining seeing Izaya leave out here with a tail.] she said, her question hiding in the depths of her word of just what Shinra was planning.

"Maybe. I wasn't watching him as he left." he said, bespectacled gaze still trained on the TV.

[...] She sat back in her seat, listening to the drone of the show that he was watching; which was some questionable documentary on some animal in another country. [You know something, don't you?] She typed before showing the screen of her PDA to Shinra. Shinra chuckled softly before looking to Celty.

"I can never hide anything from you. I'm just doing a little test run on an experiment with Izaya as my guinea pig."

[...You know he will be after you once he finds out what you did to him.]

"Maybe but I have my lovely Celty to protect me from his nasty flick blade!"

[I might reconsider that depending on what the damage is.]

"Oh Celty! So cruel you are! Doesn't our radiant love even give you the slightest care of what would happen to me if he gets his hands on m-oof!"

[Sometimes I wonder with you.]

"Celty...your elbow...really hurts..."

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When Izaya finally arrived back to his home slash office, he groaned softly as he stepped into the threshold. He headed into the bedroom and got dressed for bed before heading into the bathroom to take care of the usual. Tired eyes barely registered his reflection in the mirror as he went with the motions of his nightly routine. But after spitting out the mouthwash and looked at his reflection, red cat eyes widened as he felt the two appendages he ignored the entirety of the trip twitch lightly upon his head.

"What the hell did you do to me, Shinra?!" he cried out into the empty house which would've awoken an entire block if he was actually living anywhere near human contact.

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Zypher: Well that's it for this little test now to see whether my first multi-chaptered story will be accepted by one and all. My one shot was liked so that was a good feeling to know so let's hope the same goes for this one. Hope you like and I'll see you again with another possibly.


	2. Chapter 2

Cat Fancy

Chapter 2

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Even though he would rather spend the night cursing Shinra to the high heavens for whatever he did to him, he was tired and his headache decided to spike back up once more so he headed off to bed. Of course now the problem would be how to deal with this problem tomorrow. He had work and it was necessary to continue making his living but walking around Ikebukuro with cat ears and a tail would raise too much suspicion and question and with the Black Motorbike aka Celty roaming the streets, any other oddities to find their way into the large metropolis would have the news crew on him which is unfitting for an informant of his caliber. And the last thing he need is Shiki calling to ask why his face was on every news network in the city should it happen.

He gave a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This is doing nothing to settle my headache. I'll grill Shinra tomorrow about making an antidote for this atrocity." he murmured to himself before making himself comfortable in his bed for the night. He had work to do tomorrow, headache or not. After tucking himself under the sheets, he shifted a few times trying to find a comfortable position thanks to the new appendage that got it the way of him sleeping on his back. After another ten minutes, he finally fell into an easy sleep.

The next day, he woke up with a wide yawn and stretched languidly like a cat before getting out of bed and readied for the day. He checked his phone for messages and found a few from Shiki and nodded as he listened to them before closing his phone and shoved it down into his pocket. "So a visit to Ikebukuro I see? This will be fun." he said with a hum as his new ears twitched upon his head. Feeling them move reminded him of his predicament and growled before pulling out his phone and texted Celty something to tell to Shinra before placing his phone back, slipped his hood over his head and left his apartment to head over to Ikebukuro.

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Tom and Shizuo were already out collecting their debts that were owed and Shizuo was already feeling antsy. He just knew something was bound to happen soon and he knew it was going to somehow include that pestering flea Izaya. He knew a headache was going to form if he kept thinking about the annoying little brat so he focused on getting ready to pitch the man into the nearest street with the street sign he was holding onto at the moment. Tom rested a hand on his shoulder. "Let him talk first and then we'll react accordingly." he spoke and like a balloon losing air, he deflated and nodded, sitting the sign beside him and waited for the man's explanation which consisted nothing but useless drivel that was pretty much inaudible to their ears. Shizuo could feel that familiar tick growing with each blubbered word and gave a roar before smacking the man away.

"Just tell us whether you have the money or not!" he snarled as he charged at the man, anger blazing.

It was short but the man gave up the money for at least part of his debt payment and will have the rest ready later on in the month. He nodded in satisfaction before they walked off. "It was a little harsh but at least we accomplished something." Tom spoke with a nod as he pocketed the money. Shizuo only nodded, taking out his cigarettes and slipped one out before lighting it. The peace lasted for a good few minutes before that internal radar that just told him the flea was about rung like an alarm bell within in his mind. He gave a growl and Tom knew that growl meant the usual for Shizuo.

"Orihara?" he questioned even though Shizuo knew it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah. Excuse me while I run him out of Ikebukuro before he starts something." he murmured and the other was off before getting a confirmation from Tom. The boss sighed before giving a nod as he walked off, knowing Shizuo would easily meet him at their usual eat out spot after tearing Ikebukuro a new one.

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After meeting up with Shiki and was told of his next few assignments, he skipped out from the Awakusu-kai's hideout, already skimming through his phone as he walked. Shiki did question about why the hood was over his head but a few bullshit lies got him out of explaining that his dear doctor friend was a twisted little bastard that decided to use him for his recent experiment. "Hopefully my dear Shizu-chan doesn't find me or else me hiding these extra appendages would be worthless." he said as he continued to walk. But he knew his luck well enough and timing it just right, he ducked the vending machine that was on a lethal path for his head and instead hit the car behind him which had people scampering despite being used to Shizuo's explosive temper whenever he was around.

"Ah, Shizu-chan~ I was wondering when you would arrive." he said cheekily as he watched the other, hood dangerously close to slipping off his head but he grabbed it just in time before it could slide off completely.

"Izaaaayaaaa-kuuun~ I thought I told you to keep your smarmy ass out of Ikebukuro or else I'll kill ya." he said, cracking his knuckles as amber eyes watched him from behind blue tinted shades.

"Of course but duty calls so I just had to come~" he said, smiling softly with every hint of an underlying mockery as he gazed at the other across from him. Shizuo growled as he reached for the nearest thing, which was a No Entry sign, and picked it out of the ground like a daisy. Izaya prepared to defend himself with his trusty flick blade, taking a step back, still smiling wickedly. "Come now, Shizu-chan~ Let me go and your days will be longer...nya~" he said before slapping a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. Shizuo blinked as he watched him before shaking his head and growled. "You better start running before this sign comes colliding with your head." he growled.

"Fine~ But you're gonna have to chase me out nya~" he said and cursed inwardly before taking off._ 'Whatever the hell Shinra gave me...it's starting to progress! I'm gonna kill that little weasel next time I see him!'_ he thought as he ran, dodging and ducking every sweep with catlike grace that would've stunned Shizuo since this was different from the usual that he knew Izaya was capable of. The two continued to run, the street becoming littered with street signs and tossed cars, Izaya avoiding every obstacle before turning into a dead end alleyway with Shizuo close behind. He growled when he hit the fence before turning to face his adversary head on.

"So, we finally come to an impasse. Let me go, Shizu-chan and I'll be out of your hair for the day." he whispered, suppressing the urge to give another cutesy mewl at the end of the sentence and knew the first thing he'll do after escaping the Ikebukuro monster is confront Shinra about the concoction he gave him. Shizuo's eyes narrowed before moving closer. "I would...but this is too perfect an opportunity to be rid of you. Once you're dead then things would be so much peaceful here." he said as his grip tightened on the street sign he wielded, crinkling the iron. Izaya tried to think of an escape route while keeping his eyes trained on Shizuo's movements.

"Aww, but if you kill me now then what will you do for fun~ You know you need someone to play with." he said, smirking softly as he was ready to run past him before he could swing the sign at him but fate has a fickle way of changing and whether it was good or bad depended on who's view you look at. A strong gust of wind rushed through the alley where they stood, Shizuo wasn't deterred in the slightest but Izaya gave a yelp, covering his face which left him unable to snatch his hood before it blew off. He blinked before looking up and patted his head, finding his hood gone.

"Well shit."

But the sound of metal colliding with the ground caught his attention, cat ears flicking forward as he looked to Shizuo who was frozen in place, eyes trained on the soft cat ears that rested on Izaya's head.

_'The flea...is a cat? When the hell did this happen?'_ he thought to himself before an all new train of thought came to mind which would've made him sick to his stomach should the situation call for it.

_'But damn it all...he looks so fucking__**cute**__~'_

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Zypher: And there you have it. Shizuo learns about Izaya's new cat ears and is floored. What will happen next shall be seen soon. Hoped you all are enjoying yourself with this fic and I'll see you later with another chapter. Ja ne.


	3. Chapter 3

Cat Fancy

Chapter 3

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Izaya blinked as he watched Shizuo stand there frozen and watching the ears on his head. _'Does he like cats or something? Would explain why nothing has come flying at me yet.'_ he thought and then smirked at the new revelation that came to him. _'Still hate Shinra but this might actually prove to be useful. Let's just hope I don't turn fully into a cat before a cure is found.'_ he thought to himself before walking over to Shizuo. "So, Shizu-chan~ See something you like?" he questioned mockingly, ears twitching once more and Shizuo's hand twitched to rub them. He shook his head and went to swing at him with a fist but Izaya only hopped back, chuckling softly. "Oh Shizu-chan, you wouldn't hurt a defenseless little kitten now, will you nya~" he mewled and Shizuo growled.

"No but you're no kitten." he sneered as he watched him. "Aww, how can you say that? I have kitty ears and even a tail." he said as the tail slipped from underneath his parka and swayed from side to side. Shizuo twitched again and growled before stepping back once more and soon left the alleyway in a stiff gait and Izaya smirked as he watched him leave. "This is going to be _fun_. May compromise my dealings but anything that would mess with Shizu-chan's head is worth the risk." he said as he slipped the hood back on and tucked his tail under his parka once more before skipping out the alleyway to continue on with his work.

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When Izaya returned to his office later that day, he removed the hood, letting his ears free which twitched once revealed and Namie looked to him and then the ears. "Do I even want to know what happened with you?" she questioned and he huffed. "Don't ask. I still have a bone to pick with the person that did this to me nya. But I can't lay low for I have work to do so I'll just have to hide this and this," he explained, removing his parka to reveal the tail that joined the ears. "And hope that nothing stupid happens until I can find a cure." She only shrugged and held up a paper.

"Someone came asking for you a while back before you came in. Says he needs some info to take down someone. Up for it?" she asked. Izaya walked over to her and took the paper, glancing over it with a perplexed gaze before smirking. "Oh how fun." he said as he moved over to his desk where his laptop sat and took a seat. As he waited for it to warm up, he leaned back in his seat and took his phone out from his pocket, skimming through useless texts to see if he ever got one back from Celty on his predicament.

"Hey, Namie, think your little pharmaceutical company could handle alterations like mine?"

"I dunno. Why ask me?"

"Cause I may kill the person that did this to me if he doesn't find a cure and if I do that, then I would need a backup plan." he murmured as he closed his phone and began to go through his databanks and files to find the information the person asked for. "Well, what exactly did you do?" she asked, quite intrigued by the new appendages but didn't voice her thoughts when the informant walked through the door. "Cause said person wouldn't shut up about it, nya, I drank some drink he concocted and by the time I woke, I was left with these and didn't really find out exactly how long I would be left with them...assuming there's a possibility that it would wear off with time."

"Hmm, must be some high chemical compound if it was able to literally grow ears and a tail, something that humans don't have." Namie spoke as she stood and walked over to him, pinching an ear which caused Izaya to yelp. "Full nervous structure and I'm sure full hearing as well." she murmured as she began her examination. She parted the hair where the ears were. "Completely seamless and natural despite its oddity." She lifted his shirt next, making him hiss a little as she examined his tail next. She hummed a little and nodded before letting go and glanced into his eyes, seeing the slit-like pupils. "Your body seems to have adapted to your new features quite well but of course, since we don't know exactly how strong the concoction could've been, there could be the risk that it may just transform your body to act like a cat completely and if that happens then you can kiss your life and informant job goodbye."

Izaya sighed, hating the idea of that and knew that a trip to Shinra's may be in order instead of waiting for the dullahan to say something to the doctor. He found the info he needed and printed it out before standing. He walked over to his parka and grabbed it, slipping it on before looking to Namie. "He leave me a meeting place? I have people to meet, nya." he said and she handed him a slip of paper. He took it and slipped it into his pocket and grabbed the papers before leaving. Once she knew he was gone from hearing which was probably much improved thanks to his cat ears, she sighed, a faint blush crossed her face.

"I know I'm supposed to hate him but those ears makes him more adorable than I care to mention in his presence."

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With his hood covering his ears once more, he went into the streets of Ikebukuro, streetlights illuminating the dark around him as he walked, making his way to said meeting place of his client so he could deliver the papers. While walking, he pulled out his cell once more and dialed the ever so familiar number before lifting it to his ear. "Courier, I need you to pick me up in oh, 20 minutes nya. I have a bone to pick with your roommate." he said and knowing that Celty heard despite being headless, he hung up before looking up as he stopped before a man that stood under another streetlight. "You have my information?" he questioned.

"Of course. Otherwise I wouldn't be wasting my time here. Since this is petty information than what I usually give out, it will be 2000 yen."

The man grunted at the price but nodded as he took out the amount of banknotes asked and handed them to Izaya. He took them and tucked them away into his pocket before handing the man the papers. "Thanks for your business." he spoke before walking off into the nearby alleyway, blending in with the shadows before emerging out on the other side, smirking when he spotted Celty already there and waiting. "Prompt." Celty took out her PDA and typed what she had to say and held it up to Izaya.

[Shinra's working on a cure for your little ailment. He did say when you drop by he would need a blood sample.]

"Typical. Alright then, let's get going." he said, hopping onto the back of Shooter and he was soon off into the night, heading back to Shinra's complex.

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Shizuo sat within his apartment, clenching and unclenching his fist, imaging Izaya's neck in his hands. "Damn it all...I want to kill that flea." he grumbled as he stood and moved into the kitchen, grabbing himself a bottle of milk and went to sit back in his previous seat. He took a sip of it and sighed at the cool relief of his favorite drink. _'He better not show himself back in Ikebukuro again, or I will kill him.'_ he thought.

_/"...you wouldn't harm a defenseless little kitten, will you nya~"/_

He growled, grip tightening around the bottle, making hairline fractures along the surface before shaking his head, relenting on his death grip before he crushed the bottle and he didn't really want to have to dig out glass splinters from his hand...again. _'He's no kitten...but I adore cats...if he ever figures out that's the reason I can't beat him to a bloody smear on the pavement, he'll be able to escape me every time.'_ he thought, running a hand through bleached locks and finished up the bottle before tossing it and headed into his bedroom to get ready for bed. "I have to do something to stop that pestering flea from making a fool of me. He may be a cute cat now but he's still an annoying thorn in my side." he muttered as he began to remove his bartender uniform before blinking.

"Fuck, I just called him cute again."

He groaned, feeling the lines of stress making themselves known as he continued to change. "I cannot, will not, like that flea. I can't let him get the upper hand over me because of what he's turning into." he muttered to himself as he slipped on another shirt for sleeping in and headed off to bed. But as he slept, he dreamed. A dream so vivid that it would have him bolting up in a cold sweat later.

-Dream-

It was another sunny day in Ikebukuro, the streets were filled with bustling people and cars heading off to their various destinations. Shizuo was out once more, enjoying the day off given to him by Tom. He walked into the park that lay within the city and took a seat on the bench, letting out a soft breath before looking up to the clear skies. Soon, the sunlight was blocked from his face and he smiled as he looked to the other that hovered about him. "Hey, flea."

"Hiya, Shizu-chan." Izaya said fleetingly as he moved and took a seat beside him. "Nice day, huh?" he asked as he looked to the bodyguard. "Mmhmm. Glad Tom gave me the day off so I could enjoy it." he said and Izaya smiled before leaning against him. Anyone who walked by would probably be in shock at the two being so close together without something flying at the smaller's head. They watched as passersby walked by, birds chirping and squirrels scampering about in the grass. Izaya stretched before moving to stand and skipped off merrily before looking back to Shizu-chan.

"I have work to do now but I made a stop here to see you! I'll see you later, Shizu-chan~" Izaya called.

"Hey, you're forgetting something." Shizuo pointed out as he moved to sit up. "Oh yes~ how could I forget." he said, moving back over to him and leaned down to kiss him softly.

-End dream-

Shizuo bolted up from his slumber and growled as he rubbed his face tiredly. "God damn it, I'm killing him next time I see him." he grumbled. _/You really think you can? He'll just flaunt his cat features on you and you'll go weak in the knees just like before./_ His conscious spoke and he groaned.

"Damn it."

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Zypher: I love all you readers/watchers. Sorry for the delay but seeing alerts and reviews still coming in for this makes me happy to know I'm doing a good job with this story. Well hoped you all enjoyed and I'll see you again with another.


	4. Chapter 4

Cat Fancy

Chapter 4

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When Celty arrived at the complex that she shared with the eccentric underground doctor, they both got off the horse disguised as a motorcycle and made their way up to the apartment. Shinra was minding his own when the two came in and he smiled. "Hello, Izaya."

"Don't "hello Izaya" me. Now let's get this blood sample so I can leave. I'm gonna make use of this little infliction you gave me but I still want it gone before it causes trouble for me that I don't want to deal with." he spoke as he moved over to the other. "Ok, ok. Don't bite my head off. I got everything set up in the living room. Come with me." Izaya obediently followed the other into the living room where simple little things were set up. Shinra pulled a needle off the table and nodded for Izaya to take a seat on the couch. He did so, removing his parka and rolled up a black sleeve so that Shinra could get his blood sample. He conducted the procedure, taking a little blood before placing a dot bandage on the spot while he cleaned up. "So how long exactly will this take?" he asked.

"Maybe a week or two. I'll have to do some very extensive work to make sure that the antidote won't either kill you or make the effects permanent." Shinra replied and Izaya groaned before nodding, rolling his sleeve back down and grabbed his parka. "Fine but I better see good results." he spoke as he left the apartment. Celty walked into the room after Izaya left and pulled out her PDA, typing something before showing it to Shinra.

[Do you really think you can find a cure?]

"Of course, Celty. I'm not the best underground doctor for nothing. I just hope he doesn't kill me before I can give it to him."

[For your sake, I hope so too.]

"Oh Celty~ To know you care makes me so...urk! Celty...your elbow..."

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Izaya sighed as he entered his apartment and uncovered his ears, sighing in relief as they finally had a chance to move. "I better not get used to these any time soon." he muttered as he went to get himself a quick shower before heading to his work desk and sat down. He had work to do and he won't let little cat appendages get in the way of an honest living. And then there was tomorrow and his newfound teasing to his worst enemy. He smirked a little at the thought of the torment he could cause the debt collector with his cat features. "Great, I might like these things more than I want to think now." he muttered as fingers flew across the keyboard as he pulled up info and placed them into their proper places. He worked on that into the wee hours of the morning before finally shutting down and headed to bed for the night.

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The next morning, Izaya woke, rubbing his eyes before instinct followed and his licked his hand in attempts to clean his face and ears. When he realized this, he grumbled and went to stand, heading into the bathroom to clean up properlyand get ready for the day ahead.

In Ikebukuro, Shizuo was the same, having already got dressed and had his daily glass of milk before heading out to meet up with Tom. "I'm surprised at the lack of damage I didn't see yesterday. What happened?" Tom asked. "Don't wanna talk about it. I just hope I don't see that flea at all today."

"You know he will show just to spite you."

"That's what I don't want to think about either."

Tom shrugged as the two went about their way and did their job. At the same time, Izaya was out, handing over his next batch of info to his clientele and was given the money for the effort. "Thank you." The man spoke quietly before looking to him. "Hey, you looking for something even more discreet than the information business?" he asked and Izaya gave him a glance through hooded eyes. "Mmm, and what would that be?"

"An underground entertainment ring of sorts. I've heard of your spectacular abilities dealing with the monster of Ikebukuro when it comes to avoiding all of his attacks. We could use a man like you in our..."

"Underground fighting ring, huh? Well I would gladly take up on such an offer but I have much to do up on the surface." he said as he began to walk off. "But you could make so much more fighting." The man spoke again as he followed the other. "I like to keep my pristine complexion. Can't have this pretty face be marred by discolored bruises and deep cuts by such unruly beasts that do what they will in those fight rings."

"You say that and yet can dodge flawlessly from attacks from the monster of Ikebukuro."

"He's a different matter entirely. He's such a reckless man and I know him for years that reading his every little move is like reading a simplistic novel written by a ten year old child." he spoke as he continued walking off. "But alas, people such as you are the kind that doesn't give up potential when they see it. So therefore I issue a challenge to you. If you desire to have me join, then you must pursue me. No calling up for more info for that would make the game much too easy for a man of my caliber and this cat wants the chase to be entertaining. You can find me everywhere and nowhere. It all depends if your eyes are sharp and your mind crafty to match my own. Only then will I agree to such a request." he said, smirking as he turned back to the man before leaping up, landing gracefully on a nearby awning. He missed the hood of his parka falling from his head, revealing the black cat ears that near blended in with his hair which surprised the other man that the challenge was issued to.

"Now hop to it. This cat won't be waiting long for the dog to catch him." he spoke before flipping onto the roof and was out of sight. The man was still baffled but then the wheels in his head began to turn. "So, the famous informant is now a cat, huh? Tickets would sell for thousands to see his cat like grace influenced by the genetics of a cat." The man spoke and then smirked. "He's not the only crafty one in this city." he murmured before walking off with his info consisting of all his enemy fighters, their weaknesses and what to watch out for in a fight with them.

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Izaya cursed as he covered his head when he arrived at Sunshine 60. _'Damn it all, my cat snark got the best of me and now I'm sure that dastardly man saw my ears, nya. How unfortunate but he won't be able to capture me so easily even with a stunt like myself to make his little fight ring explode.'_ he thought to himself before looking down from his perch to see if anyone of interest was walking about. It was a Saturday which meant a lot of high schoolers will be frequenting the area and it has been a while since he talked to the little leader of the Dollars face to face since their first meeting. He glanced down and sharp eyes caught onto the familiar black head of hair of the younger boy and grinned happily as he leapt down to make himself known.

Mikado was animatedly talking with Kida as they were heading into the large arcade of the Sunshine 60 district. Anri was a few steps behind, having been invited by the fair blond to enjoy herself instead of staying in her lonely apartment, but she wisely stayed a few steps behind as the two boys talked about the new arcade game that they just installed.

Saika hummed within her before giving a sharp warning of the arrival of their unpleasant enemy that she hated all the more and looked up, the glare of her glasses almost hiding the sight of a dark coat jumping down from the building. "Umm...Mikado-kun...Kida-kun..." she called softly but it was loud enough for both to catch and turn their attention to her. "What's wrong, Sonohara-san?" Mikado asked in concern before the two jumped when Izaya landed before them. The three teens froze as they waited for the other to make a move.

Soon the other chuckled as he stood, not even the slightest twitch of pain appearing on his face from his jump. Mikado looked up and back to Izaya, just wondering where the hell the other jumped from to warrant no pain whatsoever. He knew the other was an experience parkour master but even so, jumping from any height that could snap someone's leg shouldn't be possible to do and be fine afterward.

"And how are my wonderful little people today?" he asked with a cheerful lilt in his tone which Kida easily brushed off. "We were about to enjoy a day at the arcade until _you_ showed up." he muttered and Izaya laughed softly. Anri was still silent as his attention was focused on the two before him but then Saika began to speak once more. **_/Something...something is off about him this time.../_** she whispered, a haunting tone within the depths of Anri's mind that she had steady grown used to over the years. _'Like what?'_ she thought back to the sword resting in her body.**_/Something has been...transformed in him.../_**Anri glanced over to the other as he continued to talk, his attention on Mikado more than Kida. She then realized the other had his hood pulled up, something that no one saw often.

She blinked and ever so tempted to remove it just to see what was up with Izaya but wisely kept her hands where they were despite Saika trying to egg her on to remove the hood. But it seems her eager thoughts of what was hiding underneath his hood was gonna be revealed to someone else as Izaya steered Mikado into the arcade, much to the protest of Kida who ranted and raved about pushy informants ruining their only day out of school.

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"Hey, wait a sec! Where are we going?!" Mikado asked hurriedly as he was dragged further from his friends. "Just somewhere and then nowhere. I feel as if my little infliction I can reveal to you while that idiot doctor works on a cure for me." he murmured. "Besides, I know one secret of yours so why not share one of mine for once." Mikado blinked as they were moved into a quiet corner of the arcade and Izaya released the other's shoulder so that Mikado could turn around. "What's going on?" he asked, knowing better than to dig himself deeper since Kida always told him time and again to never mess around with Izaya. "What I'm going to reveal to you might be shocking but as I said that idiot doctor is working on a cure for me since he was the one that made this happen." he spoke as he reached up, pulling the hood of his parka off and Mikado blinked in surprise as he watched the black cat ears twitch on his head.

"I know I might regret asking but what exactly happened?"

"That idiot Shinra called me to try another one of his concoctions and had me end up with this as well as a tail and the longer I'm in it, the more cat-like I feel that I'm going to become." he explained and Mikado gave a slight nod. "Ok...I can see what you mean...and yet you still roam out here in daylight. Aren't people other than Heiwajima-san out for you?"

"There are but if I haven't been caught yet, what makes you think they would have the chance now?" Izaya said with a chuckle. "I only show this to you because in the event that someone tries to stake out my usual haunts, I would need a place to stay for a few hours or so." Mikado nodded before everything began to click and he squawked. "W-wait! I can't do this! What if I get involved?! I don't want to get involved!"

"Oh Mikado-kun...do you really think I don't know just how crafty you can be? As I always say, I can be everywhere and then nowhere. Do you think that I haven't seen your little escapades before, especially with the first ever citywide Dollars meeting?" he questioned with a smirk and Mikado was speechless at that. "So, can this kitten trust the noble Dollars leader to keep him housed should things get awry?" Mikado sighed and hoped that Masaomi never finds out as he gave a nod and Izaya nodded back. "Good. Glad we could make these terms without any issues." he said with a grin as he went to put the hood back on.

"Wait!"

Izaya looked down to Mikado who moved over to him. "I think I might have enough regrets but let me just do one thing." he spoke and the older man looked to the boy with skepticism. "Fine. What is it?" Mikado moved a bit closer and raised a hand, resting it on Izaya's head and began to gently pet the other. It was a very hard thing to resist and before he knew it, he was purring softly, tail swaying behind him as Mikado petted his head. Mikado would've chuckled but that would probably ruining his little bit of fun with the usually serious man. He gave a tiny scratch behind one ear before stepping back. "Alright, I'm done. Hopefully you get that fix before someone else finds out." Mikado spoke.

"Ah, Mikado-kun, your concern touches me but I'm much too secretive to let this get out into the open. You just keep your mouth shut too if you want to avoid being caught up deep in this as well." he said, stuffing his tail back into his parka and pulled the hood over his head as a miffed yell from Kida finally alerted that Mikado better meet up back with his friends. Izaya shooed him off before moving to take the back entrance out and once he was back onto the main street, senses went haywire as he ducked a swinging yield sign that was aimed for his head.

"And look who decides to show himself." he purred as he turned. "Dear, Shizu-chan~ Think you can really handle another round with me with the advantage I have over you?"

"You'll be a dead man before you can even try." Shizuo snarled as he readied the sign once more and Izaya could only chuckle as they prepared for another wonderful game of cat and dog.


	5. Chapter 5

Cat Fancy

Chapter 5

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The two stared each other down in the alleyway, Shizuo with a sneer on his face while Izaya held a Cheshire cat grin. A shifting of feet and soon, the other was behind the bartender and skipping off. Shizuo was harried by the surprise leap but roared Izaya's name as he turned and chased after him, using the sign like a javelin and tossed it at the fleeing cat. "Hmm hmm~ Whoops!" Izaya said with a laugh as he leapt away once more, leaving the ground to be the poor victim of another sign. "Now, now, Shizu-chan~ You should know better to throw signs like that. You wouldn't want to hurt any of these innocent people here now do you? You wouldn't want to be charged for manslaughter."

"The only manslaughter I have in mind is yours!"

"Oh tsk tsk. Such evil thoughts~"

The chase continued on, people moving out the way quickly as the limber Izaya bobbed and weaved through the crowds of the Sunshine 60 district while others were shoved and knocked into by the irate Shizuo as he tried to keep up with the fast man who held cat genes within him. Soon, they got into a blocked off dead end street where they stood at an impasse once more. Izaya smirked as he watched Shizuo step into the area, a sign gripped tightly in hand that the metal creaked under his grip. "So here we are once again. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with no one to watch whatever could transpire here." Izaya whispered as he reached up to remove the hood.

"Meow, meow, Shizu-chan~ Please let this innocent kitten go~" he begged, giving his rendition of an innocent smile as he continued to watch the man across from him. Shizuo growled in annoyance, trying to ignore the pull at his heartstrings at the false begging Izaya was trying to play on him. _'Don't let him get to you. You do and he goes out a free man once more.'_ he thought as he tried to squash the urgent need to just walk over to the other and just pet those cat ears until Izaya was put down in submission. Images flew through his mind as much as he begged for them to go away, images of him petting Izaya's ears, rubbing his belly, treating him like the cat he was. His mind even went so far as to image a collar fitting around Izaya's neck and him keeping him at his home and feeding him milk despite Izaya not being an avid milk drinker like he was.

He shook his head and was near tempted to beat his own head in with the sign he held in his hands right now. Izaya smirked as he stepped over to the other, circling around him like a predator. "Oh, is little Shizu-chan put off by the kitty? Aww, too bad cause that means the kitty gets another free pass to live another day~" he said as he was ready to pass the other when his ears perked out and he didn't know what possessed him to but he grabbed the other and pulled him down with him as something flew pass them, embedding into the ground right behind where Izaya stood.

"Get off me, you damn flea!" Shizuo groused although he was wondering why the hell Izaya pulled him down. The other jumped back from him, turning to see the dart in the ground and hummed as he took it in hand. "Tranq dart, huh? Is that really necessary, good sir?" he questioned to the air as he chuckled, dropping the dart and crushed it under his feet. Shizuo sat up to see him crushing the dart and looked to him. "What the hell are you talking about, flea?" he questioned as he stood.

"Well this kitten has a little stalker that's trying to catch him. And this kitten can't afford to be captured, you see, cause he has too much to be stuck in one place forever." he said before tsking. "Oh my, that means he must've seen my little infliction. That will make him work twice as hard now, wouldn't it? Oh woe is me." he hummed as he strode off. Shizuo could only blink and wonder who the hell was after Izaya other than him. He didn't like the idea of someone else stalking his target, especially with the way he is now.

He shouldn't care as much as he did but he blamed the fact that with Izaya prancing around with cat ears and a tail makes him a susceptible target to Shizuo's fondness for cats despite the fact that said cat was his worst enemy. "Alright, as much as I hate asking, and I _really_ hate asking, what the hell are you going on about?" he questioned as he followed the other, who now had the hood back over his head.

"Is that concern I hear, Shizu-chan~"

"Shut the fuck up and tell me what's going on." Shizuo demanded, feeling a weight in his stomach with being civil with his enemy. "Well~" Izaya began as he skipped off a little but not far enough to be out of Shizuo's hearing range. "A little client of mine runs a fight ring, you see. And apparently he knows of my outwits to a protozoan like you, the strongest man in Ikebukuro." he continued and Shizuo twitched at the insulting nickname. "So, he wants me to become part of said fight ring but I like daylight too much. But I gave him a challenge, however, that if he could catch me, I'll go with no arguments. Of course, I didn't give him limitation so anyone who's anyone that he could hire could come for me. The yakuza, the CEOs of the fight ring themselves...maybe even you if coerced properly." he spoke as he glanced back to the other.

"And I could only guess...why pass up such an interesting proposal, hmm? I would be out of your hair and Ikebukuro will be infestation free like you wanted. I'll be locked up and caged like an animal, probably fed scraps too. And you wouldn't care cause you'll be too happy to see me gone. Such a shame that I couldn't have a big, strong man protecting this weak, defenseless little kitten~" Izaya simpered as he continued walking off. Shizuo let the words simmer in his head. On one hand, Izaya was right; he wouldn't give a damn if the other was turned over to an illegal fight ring. For all he cared, he could get killed down there and not one bit of sympathy would be given from him. But the side that had fallen for his cat side, much to his reluctance, didn't like the idea of Izaya being pawned off for a fight ring, especially in his state.

He may not have been in one himself but illegal fight rings play dirty even if they were given rules. With ears and a tail to exploit, Izaya would get himself mortally wounded or killed and no matter what one would say, that's consider animal abuse in Shizuo's book.

"Does...does this guy know where you live?" Shizuo questioned tentatively, knowing he was walking on eggshells with being too civil than he already had been so far without tossing something at the other.

"Nope but one day he might have a spy follow me home and relay it back to him. Oh my, that would pose a problem. Maybe I should invest in some more alarms, maybe locks for my windows. But that wouldn't stop him, I'm sure. A raid is seen in my pitiful little future~" Shizuo bit his lip as he followed behind the other a few paces. "As much as it pains me to say this...if you need somewhere to camp out, my place can be available for you." he muttered as he stuffed his hands into his pocket. "Don't expect me to protect your ass, though." Izaya stopped and smirked as he turned to look to Shizuo.

"So you do care!"

"Shut up!" he growled as he turned away from the other, letting his glasses shadow his eyes. "Even you don't deserve to get yourself killed down there. Even with your skills, someone can overpower you if you don't watch it." he muttered. Izaya laughed as he walked over. "Is this a new future I see? Will Ikebukuro actually be able to finally be damage free?"

"Don't think too highly of yourself. Piss me off and I'm putting you out."

"So mean~"

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Once he was back in his little place in Shinjuku, he recounted everything that happened that day._ 'So Shizu-chan cares for the innocent little kitten, hmm? This would be fun to torment him with but it also gains me another hiding spot.'_ he thought to himself as he went to find something to munch on. When he found virtually nothing in the fridge, he pouted and closed the door. "Need to go shopping." he hummed to himself as he went into the bedroom and dug into the side drawer which held various cells with various contacts. He picked up one and dialed a well-known number to one of his favorite shabu-shabu places in Shinjuku and asked for them to prepare his usual order.

After it was made, he slipped on his parka, tucked away what needed to be hidden and was soon off. For once, he was completely oblivious to his surroundings to never notice the eyes watching him closely as he walked to the restaurant not far from his little apartment.

Izaya just didn't know but he was going to be in for a hectic day tomorrow. And in turn, the same could be said for Shizuo.

And speaking of said debt collector...

"Why the hell did I offer my apartment to that flea!?" Shizuo snarled. "Those damn cat features is making me a sap for someone I should hate!" For the rest of the night until the moment he went to bed, Shizuo could only think of what wreck his place would possibly be in the moment Izaya ventured inside to avoid any sort of pursuers that would try and chase him throughout Ikebukuro.


End file.
